
Reading Arts Membership
Join Reading Arts Membership and get invites to exclusive events, priority booking and discounted tickets. Looking for South Street Membership?
More infoHexagon
With a flexible capacity of 950-1200 for seated events, 1686 for standing concerts and a 517 square meter auditorium for exhibitions The Hexagon is an ideal venue for all types of live entertainment, exhibitions & conferences.
More information available in the sections below or email Programme Manager
Capacity / Format:
There are three main formats for events at The Hexagon
Open Concert – Capacity 1200 suitable for music concerts, comedy, schools events. Limited masking and wing space available in this format
Proscenium Arch Format – Capacity 950 suitable for staged theatre shows and dance.
Standing Concerts Capacity 1686– Standing downstairs (1000) plus balcony seating (686)
The availability of formats is subject to programming and may incur additional charges if turnarounds between events are required. Capacity may be reduced for sightlines and technical requirements.
Downloads
Significant building works to create a new studio theatre at the venue will take place from August 2025 until Spring 2027.
The Hexagon auditorium, seat capacity and individual dressing rooms will be unaffected, and the Hexagon will continue to programme and present events as usual for the duration of the project however the works will impact on the backstage facilities available including but not limited to the following:
There may be additional changes and restrictions during this time and we will require a full tech spec and rider for the show in advance to identify any potential issues. The Hexagon will not be liable for any costs incurred if the venue is unable to meet specific production requirements during this time.
Additional Terms and Conditions and charges apply for agent allocations.
Downloads
Ticket Agent Terms & Conditions
The exact hire fee and availability of the venue is available on request and will depend on your specific event and requirements. The following is intended for guidance only and subject to change.
Included: The venue will provide, Stage Manager and up to two crew for the event, in house sound and lights as supplied (a copy of the spec can be found on our website) necessary Front of House staff for a public performance, inclusion in local listings and on our venue website. Any additional equipment or staff will be recharged.
Excluded: The following are standard recharges for all ticketed events.
Credit Card Commission (approx 3.5% of Box Office receipts)
PRS: Payment due to the performing Royalty Society. Tariffs vary depending on the performance and content of your programme. For full information see section on PRS
Catering (if requested)
Security (see below)
Stage Barrier (standing concerts only)
First Aid (for standing concerts only):
Payment A 25% non-refundable deposit is required on confirmation of booking. The balance will be payable 8 weeks in advance of the event. Any recharges or additional charges will be payable on the final settlement following the event. Please note that we are unable to release any of the box office income to the hirer until the final settlement. The hire fee and any additional charges will be subject to VAT at the standard rate.
Ticketing: All tickets must be issued by Reading Arts Box Office and we will only admit patrons in possession of a valid Reading Arts ticket to the venue. All tickets sold are subject to a booking fee charged to the customer at the point of sale which is retained by the venue. The hirer may request a small allocation of paper tickets to sell direct to customers at a cost of 50p per ticket plus any postage costs. These will not be e-tickets, The Hexagon will print paper tickets which can be collected from the box office for you to sell and distribute to your customers, the hirer will be responsible for ensuring that all customers are in possession of a valid Reading Arts ticket in advance of the event. Customers without a valid Reading Arts ticket will be refused entry and the Hexagon will not be held responsible for any issues or refunds arising from the miss selling of these tickets.
In addition the hirer may request up to 50 complimentary tickets (issued at zero value) for guests and VIPS. These will be held off sale and available for collection at the Box Office before the performance. The hirer must provide the Box Office with a guest list at least 24 hours in advance. Customers who are not on the guest list provided by The Hirer will be refused entry.
Security SIA trained Security are required to attend all public events at the venue. Security will operate bag checks on arrival and provide general security cover for the duration of the event, the provision and number of security required will be dependent on the event and the size and nature of the audience attending. The Hexagon will organise security and the cost will be recharged to the hirer.
Insurance The hirer must obtain Public Liability Insurance for a minimum sum of £10,000,000. Full details of the insurance and licencing requirements are detailed in the Hexagon Terms and Conditions of Hire.
Responsible Booking Policy: Please see the 'Responsible Booking Policy' section for full details.
Terms and conditions: A copy of the full Hexagon Terms and Conditions of Hire will be provided with the contract.
The Performing Rights Society (PRS) is the national body responsible for collecting and distributing royalties when music is played in public, broadcast, downloaded, streamed, or performed live both in the UK and around the world. If you are putting on any type of public performance or event which includes music you must declare the details to the Performing Rights Society and pay the appropriate royalty fees. Both the venue and the hirer have legal obligations under current regulations to ensure that royalties are paid correctly. The Hirer must declare any music (live or recorded) which will be played in their event. This is regardless of duration, composer or type of event or organisation. The Venue will then calculate royalties payable based on the information provided. The hirer must complete a PRS set list declaration form no later than 1 day after the event. Set lists can be downloaded from the link below and emailed in advance.
Downloads
Reading Borough Council reserves the right in its absolute discretion not to hire or provide its venues –
Furthermore, the Council reserves the right to refuse to grant, or withdraw permission with immediate effect:
Event organisers will be required to provide information about the nature and details of the proposed event, speakers, participants and organisers prior to confirming the booking. It may be necessary to record, check and pass these details to Council and external partners in order for the venue to fulfil its responsibilities under the policy.
The event organiser agrees to abide by the terms of the policy and the Council will not be held responsible or accept liability for any costs incurred by the hirer for any cancellations, refusals or withdrawal of permission. No individuals or groups will be denied the opportunity for access to local authority managed properties unless there is a justifiable reason to do so within the spirit of this policy.
The main legislation/guidance governing this issue is:
Statutory guidance issued under s29 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 makes explicit reference to the `Use of local authority resources’ and outlines expectations of partnership working and that `, local authorities should ensure that publicly-owned venues and resources do not provide a platform for extremists and are not used to disseminate extremist views’ through the establishment of a responsible booking policy for public venues.
Statutory duty As a responsible authority under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Reading Borough Council also has a statutory duty to work in partnership with other agencies to reduce and prevent crime. Maintaining public order is a priority for the Local Authority and the Police, therefore when an event poses a risk to the general public, there are grounds to review and reconsider venue hire. Where the property is not under Local Authority control, they can provide advice to the property owners/occupiers.
The Human Rights Act 1998 The Human Rights Act 1998 sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that everyone in the UK is entitled to. In some limited situations, certain freedoms are qualified meaning that public authorities may interfere with them. This is only possible where the authority can show that its action has a proper basis in law, and is necessary and ‘proportionate’ in order to protect Public safety, Public order, Health or morals, the rights and freedoms of other people.
The Equality Act 2010 The Equality Act 2010 requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Act as well as advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not. The latter relates to the need to tackle prejudice and promote understanding.
Full policy can be downloaded here
The Hexagon is the premier venue in the Thames Valley. Over the last 25 years we have presented a huge range of activities from Classical Music to Snooker and have been visited by the top artists in their field; Jamelia, Lesley Garrett, Peter Kay, Jools Holland, Van Morrison and James Blunt are just some of the many names who have appeared here in the last couple of years.
The Hexagon is also an ideal venue for exhibitions and conferences, trade shows or product launches. Due to the specialist needs of companies who wish to hire, each presentation is discussed individually, and all or part of the building can be converted into space as required
There is an on site café and bar and we can also provide private catering and bars to suit your needs. Our friendly catering professionals can advise on a wide range of freshly prepared, attractively presented meals & buffet combinations to suit all tastes.
The four star penta Hotel is a two minute walk away as is the Travelodge for your guests accommodation and The Hexagon is situated within quick and easy access from London, Heathrow and Gatwick. There is a large public car park situated conveniently opposite the theatre.
The Hexagon has an extensive technical equipment inventory and most lighting, sound and visual requirements can be met from this.
For details of hire fees or further information contact:
Venue bookings/enquiries:
Charity Gordon
Programme Manager
The Hexagon
Queens Walk
Reading RG1 7UA
0118 937 2123
Email Charity Gordon
Catering Arrangements:
Fiona Marrison
Theatre Manager
The Hexagon
Queens Walk
Reading RG1 7UA
0118 937 2017
Email Fiona Marrison
South Street Arts Centre
(capacity 60-100)
Reading Concert Hall
(capacity 700)
Reading Town Hall
Various meeting and conference spaces available